1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the field of tatting and knitting and in particular to an improved version of the standard shuttle that is used in tatting. Such improvement comprising attaching a flange or lip to those sides of the upper and lower surfaces of the shuttle that are usually held by the tips of the index finger and the thumb. The flanges extend upward and downward so that each finger or thumb fingers will be partially enclosed by the area comprising the surface and the sides of the flanges.
Shuttles are used for tatting and usually comprises a pair of surfaces that are attached to one another. At the front end of the shuttle both surfaces are pointed so as to guide the end of the thread. Tatting is a fine needle work that may be comparable to crocheting and used to create a lace effect. A shuttle is used to align the thread and also serves to keep the reserve thread in constant supply.
It is believed that attaching a flange that extends at a right angle to the upper and lower surface of the shuttle will result in a shuttle that is easier to use and one that will not fall out of the user's fingers. It has been found that when using the standard shuttle for a long time the fingers can become stiff from having to hold the shuttle and the shuttle may be fall out of the hands when one is using the shuttle. The improved shuttle with flanges should not do that as the flanges would abut the sides of the fingers and thus keep the shuttle between the forefinger and thumb.
It is thought that part of the problem is that upper and lower surfaces of the prior art shuttles are flat and that they can easily slip out of the fingers if they are held for a long time. The user in anticipation of this then holds the shuttle with firm grip in order to insure that the shuttle does not slip out of his/her hands. Because the user has to use a firmer grip this may cause the fingers to get cramped and may reduce the ability of the hands to deal with the fine strokes involved. Any time one clenches anything there is bound to be a tradeoff in terms of the ability to make fine movements.
It is believed that by adding flanges that extend around the fingers the ability of the user to hold the shuttle will increase and he/she will not have to hold the shuttle so hard. This will make the shuttle easier to use and the user will feel that is more comfortable in doing the tatting. The added material will prevent the shuttle from falling out of one's hands when in use.
2. Prior Art
While shuttles used for tatting have been in use for some time, there are none known to have flanges in connection with the upper and lower surfaces of the shuttle in order to promote a better grip.